Can Ormond man whistle while he works?

Jim McKay earned his nickname, "The Whistler," by serenading customers, but his melodies aren't music to everyone's ears and Publix has limited his whistling.

LACEY McLAUGHLINSTAFF WRITER

ORMOND BEACH — Many of the Publix customers don't know his name or much about him, but they look forward to "The Whistler'' and his tunes as they purchase their groceries each day at the store on Roscommon Drive. Jim McKay earned his nickname "The Whistler" by serenading customers with hymns such as "Amazing Grace" and Big Band jazz songs when he started working as a cashier and bagger at the store three years go. But McKay is no ordinary whistler — he rarely pauses to catch his breath and his whistling can be heard from across the Publix parking lot. Apparently though, his high-pitched melodies aren't music to everyone's ears. A few months ago, McKay said managers at Publix limited his whistling to the store's parking lot after a complaint from a customer. This week McKay said managers asked him to "tone things down." "Today they asked me to cool it off for a while," McKay said Thursday evening. "They asked me not to whistle so loud or so often and if it looks like I am bothering someone I need to cut it out." Pam Cleveland, a customer who frequents the store, said she feels like "The Whistler" is being silenced, which is a shame, she says, because McKay's whistling brightens her day. "It just makes you feel good to hear him whistle," she said. "He is a special gentleman." Publix spokesman Dwaine Stevens said his company does not provide details of store operations to the media and did not provide further details about the company's whistling policy. Billie Lynch, a Halifax Plantation resident who also enjoys McKay's tunes, said several customers have called the store manager to advocate on McKay's behalf. McKay, 71, said he understands not everyone is a fan of his tunes but he feels like it's a small act that can make a big difference for the customers he meets each day. Recently, he said he brought tears to a woman when she heard McKay whistling "Amazing Grace." It turned out the song was a favorite of her husband's who had recently died. McKay's most popular requests include the theme song from "The Andy Griffith Show" and Christian hymns. "I use it as a ministry," he said. "It comforts people but it's also peaceful and comforting for me." The Pennsylvania native said he's been whistling ever since he can remember. McKay moved to Ormond Beach six years ago after selling his lawn-care business in Boynton Beach. He said he got used to whistling throughout the workday to pass the time. Despite his retirement McKay works at Publix four days a week because he says he enjoys getting out and meeting new people. But Publix isn't the only place where McKay has been asked to cut back on his whistling. His wife of 20 years, Janice, has limited her husband's whistling to outside or in the garage. "When he whistles full blown, he really whistles," Janice McKay said. Despite his wife's sensitivity to the sound, McKay said she is the reason for his jovial mood every day. And as far as his whistling goes, McKay doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. "It just comes naturally to me," he said. "I've been doing it my entire life."